Assembler slide return



Oct. 14, 1952 D. DIAMOND ASSEMBLER SLIDE RETURN 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed May 5, 1950 INVENTOR.

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Patented Oct. 14, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 ASSEMBLER SLIDERETURN David'Diamond, Forest Hills, N.' Y. Application May 5, 1950, seriai- No mosii 1 sembler slide to which selected matrices aredelivered is advanced against the action of a slide return spring toward an assembling elevator by engagement of an assembler star with the endmost matrix or spacer on the slide. Movement of the slide is under control of an assembler slide brake, a device of such construc tion that, when efiective, it is supposed topermit movement of the slide inone direction'only, to wit toward the elevator. When the elevator approaches its delivery position it shifts a brake operating lever to renderthe brake ineffective whereupon the slide is freed for movement in a retrograde direction under the action of the slide return spring.

v A major difficulty with this arrangement is that the retrogressive force exerted by the return spring and cancelled when the, brake is effective becomes operative when the brake is slightly worn or not properly adjusted. At such time the bias of the return spring is balanced against the intermittent pressure effected by the star wheel paddles, thus causing longitudinal jiggling or vibration of the assembler; slide.y The vibration is disconcerting to operator A and sometimes causes transposition of matrices. Such vibration is aggravated as the slide fills up and increases the tension on the return spring. 7

A secondary trouble inherent in the foregoing arrangement is that the assembler slide does not always initiate its cycle at a correct starting position either because the brake is bad and. permits the slide to bounce, or because of dust 11 Claims- (Cl..19930)f lodged in the machine. As such times one or more of the first matrices delivered may fall off the slide.

It is the primary object of my invention toprovide an improved assembler slide return which will eliminate these drawbacks.

It is another object of my invention to provide a positive. return for the assembler slide.

It is another object of my invention to provide an improved return of the character described which can be incorporated readily and easily in present typesetting machines. 7 a

It is another object of-my invention to provide animproved return of the character described which is rugged and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture. f y Other objects of this invention will in part along the. line 5- -5 of Fig. 4; a

be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter. I

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which'will be exemplifiedin the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in'the appended claims In the accompanying drawingsfin which is shown one of the various possible. embodiments of the-invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front view of the assembling mechanism. of a. typesetting machine having an assemblerslide return constructed in accordancewith my invention, the'machine being illustrated at-the start of the assemblerslide cycle;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional-views taken substantially along the lines 22 and. 33 respectively of Fig.1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig, 1;

Fig. 5. is a sectional view taken substantially Fig. 6 is a view taken substa line 6-6 of Fig. 5;.

tially along the Fig. 7 is a sectional-view taken substantially along the linel-l of Fig. 1; h

Fig. 8 is a sectional view takensubstantially along the IineB B of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken vsubstantially along the-line 9-9 of Fig. 8;. Fig. .10 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line l0-,-l0 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 11 is a. front view. of the portions, of the typesetting machine inthe vicinity of the assemb-ler elevator, the latter being illustrated, in its raised position; and f Figs. 12 and 13 .are'enlarged sectional views taken substantially along the lines LIZ-'42 and l3-l3 respectively of Fig. 11, these views corresponding to Figs. Band 10, respectively.

Referringnow in detail to the, drawings, the referencefnumeral 21) denotes the assembling mechanism of a typesetting machine in which there isv incorporated a slide return embodying my invention. Said mechanism.includes an assembling'frame 22 ,on which the various operative parts are, mounted. Matrices 24 deposited.

Said slide traverses an elevator shaft constituting a pair of posts 38, 40 on which an elevator AI is guided for vertical movement. The elevator is powered in any fashion well known to the art, as by a hand lever or foot treadle (not shown) through a link 4Ia so that the elevator can be raised when desired by the operator and subsequently lowered.

The mechanism as thus far described is entirely conventional.

Pursuant to my invention the slide return includes an element which is mounted for movement parallel to the elevator, i. e. vertically, a kinematic mechanism positively interconnecting the slide and the element so that movement of the slide as it receives matrices will cause movement of the element, and reverse movement of the element will restore the slide to starting position, and a kinematic mechanism impositively connecting the elevator andelement in such manner thatthe elevatorwill move the element only when the elevator descends to positively return the slideto starting position and to exert such restoring forceonlywhen-the elevator is being lowered.

More'specifically the element referred to con- ,stitutesajbar f42-captivelyslidable in a track .member d l secured to; a block 46. Said block is designedito be mounted on the elevator post 40, as by; screws 48; 'in-such position that the element is recipro'cable vertically and, therefore, parallel to the path of movement of the elevator. One edgeof the bar is provided with a rack gear 50 whichmeshescwitha-pinion 52 fixed to a horizontal-shaft 54. The shaft is journalled in said blockclGi-andhas fixed to it a second pinion 56 disposed adjacent the. path of travel of the bottom edge of the slide. This edge of the slide is pro-' vided with a rack gear 58 formed as by securing such'a gear thereto or by shaping aportion-of the bottom edge of the slide into the desired shape. The gear-58-is-in mesh with the second pinion- B --so--that when the slide-moves in a matrix 'acceptingdirection it will raise the bar 42and when the bar is driven downwardly it will shift the slide 'retrogradely.

The second pinion 56 affords one point of support for the slide. Another point of support is provided by a brake-68. Although the brake may be of-conventional construction such as now is used, which permits movementofthe slide only in 4 a matrix-accepting direction when the brake is effectiveand-in--either;direction when the brake reopen, I prefer to employa drag brake which permits movement 'of'the'slide in either direction againsta frictiOn-dragwhn the brake is effective and freemovementof the slide in either direction when the brake is open. Said brake includes a fixed shoe 62 and a movable shoe 64. One shoe, e.;g. the shoe 62, engages the upper edge of the are made, of friction material, for example,

- leather. The fixed shoe is secured to a bracket GG'jmountedonftheframe 22. The movable shoe is lsecured to a backing plate 68 which carries a encircling. thexguide pins between the backing plate and fiange serve to bias the movable shoe against the slide. The sleeves are threaded in the flange so as to enable the friction drag of the braketo .be adjusted:

' Means is" included to cancelth'eaction of the slide and the other the ,bottomedge. Said shoes 7 brake. Said means comprises a plate which normally lies fiat against the undersurface of the flange 16. The stud freely passes through an opening in the plate and the head of the stud supports the plate in its said position, there being sufficient clearance to allow the brake to function. A pin 82 depending from the flang T6 extends through another opening in the plate, fitting sloppily therein in order to retain the plate in the plan position shown in Fig. '6, and yet to permit rocking thereof about the edge 84. The plate projects beyond the flange to form an operating finger 86 from which a slender abutment 88 extends upwardly. The normal, brake-effective position of the plate 80 is shown in full lines in Fig. 5. If the plate is rocked to the dot-and-dash line positions illustrated in said figure, the stud 12 will pull the movable shoe 64 down against the action of the compression springs 18 thereby opening the brake.

This action is effected by a brake operating lever 90 which is a standard part of a conventional typesetting machine. The operating lever pivots ona screw 92 set in the assembling'frame 22. An arched leaf spring 94 bears against the back of the operating lever to hold the same frictionally in any set position. One end 96 of the operating lever is located a short distance above the top of the abutment'when'said lever is-in its idle position shownin Fig. 1. At such time the opposite end 980i the operating lever is engaged by a brake-setting. shoulder I00 on an edge ofthe elevator near the top'thereof. A brake-releasing shoulder I02 is located nearthe. bottom of the elevator. The two shoulders are so disposed that one or the other will engage the end 98 of the brake operating lever near the upper and lower limits of travel thereof. When the elevator is raised, the shoulder. I02 will, near the end of the movement, press against the lever and oscillate it through a short are me clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, thus depressing the lever end 96 and releasing, i. e. opening, the brake. The brake will be held open by the leaf spring 94 until the shoulder I 00, near the end of downward movement of the elevator engages the lever to raise the end 96 and-set the" brake. The brake will remain set until the shoulder I92 again contacts the operating lever. I

The impositive kinematic mechanism herein- -above mentioned includes a block IIM fastened to the elevator H near the bottom end,-as by screws I66, which also secure a retainer 108 against the block. The block and retainer "form a non-circular track H9 in which the shank H2 of a bolt 4 is captively 'slidable, said shank having across-section which matches that of the track. 7 A detent finger I Ifi'projects from one end of the boltjand a spring anchoring finger I I 8 projects from the other'end. A helical spring I20 tensed between the finger II8 and a post I22 on the retainer biases'the detent finger H6 toward the bar 42. For; reasons which will shortly be apparent, the underside of the detent finger is formed with a chamfer I24 and the outer side of said finger hasa vertical slot I26. The detent finger is held in its retracted position shown in Fig. 9 by a catch I28 mounted at the free end of a cantilever leaf spring It'll; Itwill be appreciated that depressing the catch will permitthedetent to snap togits extended position shown in Fig. l2. This movementof the catch isa'ccomplished by a pin I32 fixed to the upper end of the block 46. Said. .pinis disposed in'fthe path of travel-ofthe catch and is engaged thereby at the upper limit of travel of the elevator. The slot I26 prevents the pin from contacting thedetent fin- 'ger in the latters extended position (see Fig. 13). The last-named kinematic mechanism also includes an arm I34 rigidly secured tothe bar 42 and an edge cam I36 affix'ed-to the block 46. The arm I is 'in the path of travel of the detent fingerwhen the latter is in extended position, and is clear of the path of travel of the catch and of the retracted detent finger.- The position of the arm with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bar is such that the arm is below the pin I32 whenthe slide is in'its maximum matrix-accepted position (see Fig. 12). By properly proportioning the pinions 52, 56 the extent of. movement of the bar 42 is made less than the vertical throw of the elevator and the arm further is-so positioned that at the start of a matrix-accepting cycle said arm is above the detent finger, The arm extends through and is slidable in a slot I31 inthe track member 44.

The edge cam is disposed in the path of movement of the extended detent finger and'is'clear of the catch I28 (see Fig. Said cam is shaped to engage the chamfer I24 on the detent finger near the end of the downward movement of the elevator and to force the bolt II4 retrogradely sufliciently to permit the catch to springback into its detaining position, this latter occurring slightly after the slide is restored to its starting point. v

In the operation of the assemblingmechanism, at the initiation of a matrix accepting cycle the several parts are disposed as follows:

The slide 32 is at its starting point, the extreme right as viewed in Fig. 1. The shoulder I00 rests against the brake operating lever 90 so that the brake is effective. 'The bar 42 and arm I34 are in their lowermost positions. The detent finger H6 is maintained retracted by the catch I28 and is below the arm I34 andcam I36.

As matrices are fed down the chute 30 they are erected by the star wheel36 and pushed toward the stop 34, thus advancing the slide against the drag of the brake 60 toward the left as seen Fig. 1. It is to be observed that as the slide travels there is no restoring force, and, hence no vibration of the slide. While the slide is moving during acceptance of matrices, the racks 50, 58 and pinions 52, 56 raise the bar 42.

:At'some point, determined by the operator, feeding of the matrices will be stoppedand the elevator -4I raised. The maximum travel'of the slide and bar are inherently limited'by the capacity of the typesetting machine and are such that the limit of upwardmovement'of the arm 3 I 34 is'below the pin I32.

As the elevator is lifted it first will disengage the shoulder I00 from the brake operating lever 90" although this does not afiect operation of the brake since the lever is maintained in position by the arched spring 94. Upon furtherupward about the same time the catch I28 will strike and be depressed by the pin I32 allowing the detent ffinger to snap to extended position.

' In normal operation of the typesetting machine, the elevator next is lowered. During this period the extended detent will encounter and tone down the armql34, thus moving the slide back toward its starting point. As the arm nears a position corresponding to the starting point of the slide, the chamfer I24 on the detent finger engages and rides down the cam I36 gradually disengaging said finger from the arm I34. The cam is so shaped and disposed that the arm will be cleared by the detent finger at the instant the slide is brought back to its starting point. Further downward movement of the elevator allows the cam to press the detent finger back far enough to enable the catch to spring up to detaining position. Finally the shoulder I 00 engages the brake lever so as to reset the brake which was off during downward travel of the elevator. It will be observed that the slide is restored to starting position smoothly and positively thus preventing bounce and brushing aside any foreign matter. I

It may be mentioned that releasing the brake for return of the slide minimizes the requisite slide restoring force which in a conventional machine simply will be the weight of the elevator and parts movable therewith.

device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possibleembodiments might bemade of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described'my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. For use in a typesetting. machine including areciprocable assembler slide and a reciprocable elevator, a slide return comprising an element, means to mount said element for movement parallel to the elevator, a kinematic mechanism for causing movement of the slide as it receives matrices' to move the element and reverse movement of the element to restore the slide to startingposition, and a kinematic mechanism impositively connecting the element and elevator for causing the elevator to move the element only when the elevator descends and thereby to return the slide to starting position. 1

2. For use in a typesetting machine including a reciprocable assembler slide and a reciprocable elevator, a slide return comprising an element, means to mount said element for movement parallel to the elevator, a kinematic mechanism for causing movement of the slide as it receives matrices to move the element and reverse movement of the element to restore the slide to starting position, a kinematic mechanism impositively connecting the element and elevator for causing the elevator to move the element only when the elevator descends and thereby to return the slide rices to. move the element and reverse movement of the element to restore the slide to startin position, a member movable with said element, and a member movable with said elevator, said members being kinematically non-cooperable on rising' movement of the elevator, and means to .cally non-cooperable with theother member and interengage said members on descending movement of the-elevator.

4. For use in a typesetting machine includin a reciprocable assembler slide and a'reciprocable elevator, a. slide return comprising an-element, means to mount said'element for movement par- 2.1161130 .the elevator, rack gear and pinion'means for causing movement of the slide as it receives matrices to move the element and reverse movement of the element to restore the slide to starting position, and a kinematic mechanism impositively connecting the element and elevator. for causing the elevator to move the element only when the elevator descendsand thereby to return the slide to starting position.

5.-F or use in a typesetting machineincluding a reciprocable assembler slide and a reciprocable elevator, a slide return comprising; an element, means to mount said element for movement parallel to the elevator, a rack gear movable with the slide, pinion means'meshing with the rack gear, a rack gearimovable with the element and meshing with the pinion means, a member movable, .With said element, and a member movable with said elevator, said members being kinematically non-cooperableon rising movement of the elevator and meansto interengage said members on descending movement of the elevator.

6. For use in a typesetting machine including a reciprocableassembler slide and a reciprocable elevator, a slide return comprising an element, means to mount said element for movement parallel to the elevator, a kinematic mechanism for causing movement of the slide as it receives matricesto movethe element and reverse movement of the element to restore the slide to startingposition, ,a member .movablewith said ele ment, a member movable with said elevator, I means to render said members kinematically non-cooperable on rising movement of the elevator, and'means to interengage said members on descending movement of the'elevator.

'7. For use in a typesetting machine including a reciprocable assembler slide and areciprocable elevator, a slide return comprising an element,

means to mount said element for movement parallel to the elevator, akinematic mechanism for a position in which it is kinematically cooperable with the other member, means to shift said one member to its first-named position preparatory to, rising movement of the elevator; and means to. shift said one member to-its second-named position preparatory to descending movement of the elevator.

8. For use in a typesetting machine'including a-reciprocable assembler slide and a reciprocable elevator, a slide return comprising an element, means to mount said element for movem'entparallel to the elevatcna kinematic mechanism .for

causing movement of the .slideas it receives matrices to move the element and reversemovement of the element to restore the slide to starting position, an arm movable with said element, a'detent finger movable with'said elevator, means .to. mount said finger for movementbetween a position in which it is clear of the-path of travel v,of the .arm and a position in whichit is in? the 8 path :oftraveljof the arm, spring meansto bia the finger to its second-named position, acatch movable with the elevator, spring meansto bias the catch to a position at which it detains the detent finger in its first-named position, the, path of travel ,of the finger extending beyond. both ends of .the path of travel of the arm, a stationary pin above th upper limit of the path of travel of the arm, said pin being in the path of travel of the catch and engageable therewith to depress the catch and allow the finger to be biased to its second-named position, and a stationary cam in the -path of travel of: they detent finger and engageable'therewith to force said finger to its first.- named position when the slide has returned'to its starting position. I

. 9. Foruse in a typesetting machine including a reciprocable assembler slide and a reciprocable elevator, a slide. return comprising an element, means .to mount said. element for movement-parallel to the elevator, rack gear and pinion means for causing movement of the slide as it receives matrices to move the-element and reverse movementof the element to restore the-slide to startingposition, an arm movable with said element, a detent finger movable with said elevator, means to'mount said finger'for movement between .a position in which it is clear of the path of travel of the arm and a position in which it is in the path of travel of the arm, spring means to bias the finger to its second-named position, a catch movable with the elevator, spring means to bias the catch to a position at which it detains the detent finger in its firstenamed position, the path of travel of-the finger extending beyond both ends of the path of travel of the arm, a stationary pin above the upper limit'of the path of travel of the arm, said pin being in the path of travel of the catch and engageable therewith to depress the catch and allow the finger to be biased to its second-named position, and a stationary camin the-path of travel of the detent finger and engageable therewith to' force said finger to its first-named position when the slide hasreturned to its starting position.

10. For use in a typesetting machine including a reciprocable assembler slide and a reciprocable elevator, a slide returncomprising .an element, meansto mount said element formovement parallel to the elevator, a rack gear movable-withcthe slide, pinion means mesh-ingwiththe rack gear, a rack gear movable with-the elementiand'meshing with-the pinion means, an arm movablewith 7 said element,. a detent finger movable. with said elevator, means to mount tsaid finger for movement between .a position in which itis clear'of the path'of travel of'the arm and a position in which it is in the path of travel of cthearm,"spring means. to bias thefinger to its'second-named position, a catch movable with the elevator, spring means to bias the catchto a position at which it. detains. the detent finger in' its first-named position, the path of travel of the finger extending beyond both ends'of the path of travel of the arm, azstationarypin'above the upper limit of the path of travel of the arm, said pin being in the path of-'travelof the catch and enga'geable therewith to depress the catch and allow 'thefinger to be biased to its second-named position, and a stationary cam in the path of travel of the detent finger and engageable therewith to force said finger to its first-named position when the'slide has returned to its starting position. "11; For use in a typesetting machine including aireciprocable assembler slide and a reciprocable 9 elevator, a slide return comprising an element, means to mount said element for movement parallel to the elevator, a rack gear movable with the slide, pinion means meshing with the rack gear, a rack gear movable with the, element andmeshing with the pinion means, an arm movable with said element, a detent finger movable with said elevator, means to mount said finger for movement between a position in which it is clear of the path of travel of the arm and a position in which it is in the path of travel of the arm, spring f means to bias the finger to its second-named position, a catch movable with the elevator, spring means to bias the catch to a position at which it detains the detent finger in its first-named position, the path of travel of the finger extending 7 file of this patent; is

beyond both ends of the path of travel of the arm,

a stationary pin above the upper limit .of the path of travel of the arm, said pin being in the path i 10' of travel of the catch'and engageable therewith to depress the catch and allow the finger to be biased to its second-named position, a stationary cam in the path of travel of the detent finger and engageable' therewithto force-said finger to its first-named position when the slide has returned to its starting position, and a drag brake operative on the slide.

' a DAVID DIAMOND.

I REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the v UNITED STATES PATENTS Number I Name Date 1,057,803 Chapman Apr. 1, 1913 1,812,808 Sperry June 30,1931 

